Stats shows Chelsea star was most creative player on the pitch in tense Man U win | OneFootball

Cole Palmer’s performance against Liverpool a couple of weeks ago was hailed as a return to form for the attacking midfielder.

He did get a goal – a late penalty to end his long drought – but really what got people excited was his overall performance.

Palmer impressive with all round showing

Cole Palmer stokes the ball around. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Yesterday against Newcastle there was no goal, but once again Palmer did really well in a game which was a tough slog against Manchester United’s back 5.

The attacking midfielder ended the game with a 7.7 rating on SofaScore, making him the highest rated player on the pitch besides match winner Marc Cucurella. He was not the most involved – only playing the 6th most passes on his team but he completed an impressive 88% of them.

In terms of duels he won an healthy 5 of 8, and as you’d expect he shone most in the creative areas.

He played 2 key passes, the equal most of anyone in the game. He also created 2 big chances, more than anyone else. 3 of his 5 long passes found their mark.

In a game which was pretty tense and low quality, he provided much of the spark.

Maresca must already plan for Palmer next season

This season is almost over, and while Palmer has a vital role to play both in the final league game of the season against Nottingham Forest and in the Conference League final, attention will already be turning to next season.

We can’t afford to have him slump like we did for a large stretch this season. Good performances like this one are what we want – but we need him back scoring and assisting too.

Enzo Maresca has his work cut out in the summer to get make this team a dangerous attacking force again, with Palmer involved.